Course summary
Enhance your non-court dispute resolution skills with this online Masters accredited by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Develop your qualifications in negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Prepare for a career in the non-court dispute resolution industry. Dispute resolution is faster, less adversarial and less public than the traditional litigation process. It’s why organisations and individuals are increasingly choosing to resolve disputes outside of court. Join our online LLM in Dispute Resolution to gain the skills, confidence, qualifications and connections to make a career in this area.
- Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and can exempt you from its Membership or Fellowship exams.
- Flexible, so you control your workload each term.
- Part-time, so you can keep working while you build qualifications.
Modules
This online LLM features one optional on-campus course: Professional Arbitration Skills – this optional course features on-campus teaching and workshops at the University of Aberdeen in the summer.
Assessment method
This degree is assessed online, with the exception of our on-campus course options. These feature on-campus teaching and assessments.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Arbitrators, Chartered Institute of
How to apply
International applicants
This LLM is delivered online with the exception of: Professional Arbitration Skills – this optional course features 11 days on campus at the University of Aberdeen in June.
Entry requirements
A 2:2 (lower-second) honours degree (or equivalent) in Law, or 2:2 honours degree (or equivalent) in another discipline, or significant professional experience. These are our minimum entry requirements. They are given as a guide and do not guarantee entry. If you do not meet these entry requirements, or are not ready to commit to a full LLM, you may be able to use our online short courses as a route into this degree: https://on.abdn.ac.uk/hello/short-course-route-dispute-resolution/.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | Overall - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5 or above; Reading - 6.0 or above; Speaking - 5.5 or above; Writing - 6.0 or above. IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training are not accepted. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 90 | TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Overall - 90 with: Listening - 17 or above; Reading - 21 or above; Speaking - 20 or above; Writing - 21 or above. DI code is 0818 |
| PTE Academic | 62 | Overall - 62 with: Listening - 59 or above; Reading - 59 or above; Speaking - 59 or above; Writing - 59 or above. Online test is not accepted. |
| Institution's Own Test | Academic English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE) - Pass (valid for 1 year). Academic English Preparation Programme undertaken at other UK HEI - accredited by BALEAP and within 1 year of start of course. | |
| Cambridge English Advanced | C | Overall - 176 with: Listening - 162 or above; Reading - 162 or above; Speaking - 162 or above; Writing - 169 or above. |
To study for a postgraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write academic English fluently. These skills will allow you to understand lectures, produce high standards of written work, and perform well in examinations. We can assess your English language proficiency through a variety of means: through your nationality, through the qualifications you gained in high school, through the degree you undertook or are undertaking at university, or through a recognised English language test. Postgraduate Higher requirements are used by the Schools of Business; Divinity, History and Philosophy; Education; Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture; Law; and Social Sciences. The MSc in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management and the MSc in Integrated Petroleum Geoscience also make use of the Postgraduate Higher requirements. Please note certification must be within the two years prior to commencement of your degree programme, unless otherwise stated.
Please use the checklist at the following webpage to determine how you can meet our English language requirements:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/requirements-pg-266.php
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £16740 | Whole course |
| International | £16740 | Whole course |
| England | £16740 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £16740 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £16740 | Whole course |
| Wales | £16740 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £16740 | Whole course |
| Republic of Ireland | £16740 | Whole course |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
This indicative cost is based on 180 credits of study over two years, starting in January 2026. The fees quoted above are based on you starting your studies with us in the 2025/26 academic year.
Our tuition fees will rise by 3% for the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 academic years. Our indicative cost includes a 3% fee rise each year.
Sponsorship information
The University of Aberdeen provides an Alumni Discount Scheme: The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen.
Provider information
University of Aberdeen
Directorate of Global Engagement, Marketing and Recruitment
King's College
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX